Spring-wheel.



VQBABKER.

SPRING WHEEL. APPLICATIONA Fl-LED JULY I8. 1911-. l v 1,250,92. Patented Da. 25,1917.'4

2 SHEETS-snuff. l

vALMoNn Brennan, on CLEVELAND. oHIo.

i srRiNG-WHEEL.;

Y i ASpecification of Letters Patent.

'Patented' Dee. 25, '19,1 7.

Application filed July 18, 1917. Serial No. 181,223.

To all whom t may concern: ,i v

Be it known that I, VALMOND BAnKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county. of .Cuyahoga andA State of Ohio, have invented certain `new and useful Improvements in Spring-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring wheels, and has for itsobject to provide an improved wheel having an outer rim made` of .anunc-v ber of treadV blocks or segments which arel springsupported with respect to the inner part of the wheel, said inner part being supported `bythe rim in such manner asto give resiliencywithout .the use ofpneumatic or similar devices, theinner part of the wheel being suspended within the rimwhich is distendedl by inner circumferential springs.

The details oftheconstruction .will be' fully evident from-the following. description and accompanying-drawings in which Y Figure 1 isa side'elevationof a part of a wheel embody-ingthe invention;

Fig. 2 is asection on thelineZ-Q of.

Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a section on thefli'ne 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4. is alsiaeeievation of one of the.

connecting devices which is pivotally mounted in the felly; Y

Fig. 5 is a top plan inFigJ; 1

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of anattaching of the device shown device through which the suspending bolts pass; l

Fig. 7 is an end view` of Fig. 6

Fig.. 8 lis a detail showing the' manner of,

tightening the springs which distend .the rim; and f l Fig. 9 is a detail inside lelevation of a modification.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 1 indicates a series of metal tread blocks which compose the'rim. These blocks are connected at opposite sides bypivoted links 2, and the rim or ring so formed is held in circular distended'position bya series of-*iiaty springs 3 which extend around within the.

rim and press against the inner sides or surfaces of the blocks, thereby holding the rim in substantially circular form, although the springs will yield to accommodate shock or weight.

Some of the tread blocks, at regular intervals around the rim as indicated at 4, are provided with outwardlyextending ears 5 which receive the hooked ends 6 `ofbolts 7 by means-of which the inner part ofthe wheel and the` rim are connected together'. `Loosely mounted on theinner ends ofthe bolts are guidesleeves 8, each of which has a pair of circular lugs V9 projecting at opposite'sides thereof, and the sleeves are retained on the bolts by nuts 22 with springs 2l between the nuts and the sleeves tocushion the movement.

vThe wheel felly, proper, is indicated at` 10, and at points corresponding to the location of the links or bolts 7 it is bored transy versely to receive hollow Shanks or trunnions 12 projecting from forked blocks ,11. As

The trunnions are internally threaded and are connected by a bolt 13 between eachk pair.

(The forksofeachblock-ll span or embrace the outer part Vof the sleeve 8, and `have pro` jections 14 at each side which are. arced or hooked as yindicated at-16,.and these hooked partsengage the circular lugs 9 projectingfrom. the; sleeves 8, as shownfin Figs. 1 and 3. -Tohold the lugs andV the; forks together,-

split2rings,1;7 are sprung around, the same,

said rings restingingrooves 15 in the pro-A jectionslft and in a notch 18; in a ribj19 on the innerside of the A lugs v9. The weight of y the wheel s'sustained by the lugs 9 and the forks 11, the ring 17 simply serving to pre:

vent accidental disengagement of the parts under rebound.v The rings y17-are held from turning vby lugs 20 on the projections 14.,

the lugs -fitting between the'ends `of the rings.l

It-will be noted thatthe hooks 6 form a i universal connectionbetween the ears 5 and .the bolts 7 and the blocks 1l and lugs 9 also form `auniversal connection between the v felly and saidbolts 7 since the trunnions;

12can turn on atransverse axis, and the lugs 9 can turnon tangential axes, and, also the bolts 7 have `limited play lengthwise in the sleeves `8.. And thesey connections permit ofthenecessary changes iny relative position between the parts incident to vibrationor.,

the spring action of the wheel.

The outer face or partfofthe yfelly is prof videdwith a T-shaped extension indicated at 23, the circumferential surface of which is spaced a suiicient distance from the springs 3 supporting the rim of tread blocks. Under excessive weight or shock this part 23 drops to contact with the springs or blocks thereby limiting the spring action and giving a rigid support for the inner part of the wheel.

Fig. 8 shows the manner of expanding the rings 3. F or each ring, one of the blocks 1 has a pair of hooked projections '24 with recesses 25 which receive the ends of the spring 3. One of these hooks is provided with a screw 26 which bears against one end of' the spring, 'and by turning this screw the spring is expanded to au extent' suflicient to fully distend the same, or to hold it at desired,adjustinent. The blocks: atv 'which the ends of the respective springs "3 are? connected are preferably disposed at dierent points around the circumference so thatall the joints arenot at'thefsaine lplace or point in the circumference.

In Fig; 9 a modicaltion is"'illustr'ate'd.v Instead of the links 2 thectread :blocksy lare connected by cables '27 one' of Vwhich extends around each side of the rim, throughifholes in flanges 28 at the sides Aof the blocks, whereby they are heldin theforrn ofg-aconiplete' ring 'bymeans of? thesp'rlings 3 within the saine. Each cable is held by yan'eyebo'lt 3l the stern 30 lof'w'hich is secured-'by nuts 32 in an extension .29V on the innerside of soine of the blocks.`

Il desi-red, a' packing of brake linin'g for similar material 33 may be pla-'cedbetween-I the springs -3 andthe tread'blocks, as shown in Fig. 2, for' the purpose ofpr'eventingfany squeals incident to the tread "llaloclcs: rubbing? against the springs,` said'lpaclrilng' being seatL edin recesses in the inner'side oithe blocks.

In the-use of the wheel, itwillbeuridrl stood that theriln of blocks'isidistended by) the springs 3 tothe full extent, and theifellyl" and the inner part ofthe wheel is 'suspended Within this rim, by means-'ofthe' bolts'?l a'ndthe other connections, the weight c'orning* on the upper part of vthe', ri'mby tensio'non the bolts-7. Therefore the rim tendslt'o assume' an elliptical shape, nio'reor less, andi rofadfy shocks' are absorbed by the spring rirn, with-` out being transmitted vdirectly `to/the inner part of the wheel. Theadvantages oiaresilien't wheel? are thus-#obtained universal connections Vpermity the" 'boltsy 75 :to

assume various -po'sitions witlrespec't to ra# dial lines, to accommodatethe distortion of the rim, whereby bending: orf fracture io'ff the" bolts is prevented.

Co'pies of thisv patentlmay b'e obtained for At 'the' lower part ofthe wheel, orthe part nearest'A the ground, the bolts/74 willworl lin and out"r to a limitedextent in `the'sleeves'-8, 'andthe' of tread blocks, guides uhaviingtrunnions- 'tf tinginwbearings aft" opposite sides# off the telly, .connectingerods slidable in 'then'guides'y andvpivoted at ytheir outer endswto some fof the blocks', and a'lcontinuous spring; ringeiit'-V ting. 'with-in fthe: Ari'in an d 1r tendingL Ito. fdistend the saine'.

A wheel providedwith a'frimrcornposed ofvtreadfblockspivotally connected: to each f other,' tension .'connections -between P vopposite sides of some! of the blocks: afndg4 ther: wheel telly, and# spring: rings* fiettingz,:withinI the.'

riin and calctingrto' y distend A=the: same,

41 A' lwheel :provi-'ded with v1a; lexible frim; 1s springf distending the sainetarfelly',jblocksf piv-ote'd to the felly, lart;loppositersides there-- of; gniiales-havinglugs exbly.- engarging'mhe blocks, and 1 tension i fbolts1=c0nnectedf to rim ain'd f w'orliingzin said :guides: r v

tended rini, telly, forked Ablocks; i having.

trulnnien's 'mounted in i ther fell-yA to' turnon transverse axes, sleeves :"liavin'g' lugsf engaginggy the forksof thebloolz'syand. connecting y bolt-s between the sleeves and the rim.

f6'. A; wheel provided with ialrim Poomp'osed of blocks pivotally connected to each other,

a spring ex'telfifdil'rgiaroundx Withinl ther-im and isei'vingite distend 1 the' saine, one O'fthef blocks having means to hold opposite'ends:y

of f'the'fspringl 7. A wheel provided with a rim composed ofi blocks pivotallyf connectedfito eaohfothfe'r, a ysprifngfv extending aroundV within'the'rln and serving to distend the s anie, one of the` blocks having rneansto'hold'opposite ends of,thesprngfandalsohaving'meansbeang onthefendiof thesprnfggtoiexpand the'samn'e.V In testimony whereof, I do aix my?si'gns-V turenpresenee ofltwvc wtre's,seefA vALMoNn BAKKER.'

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